Studying the Concept of Love in Language Education:

Abstract

Love is a universal emotion and phenomenon. Despite its importance, this concept has notbeen the focus of studies in language education, with a few exceptions. This reticence anduneasiness in researching love in academia and in education is considered to be related tomisconceptions about love that equate it only to intimate relationships and family matters(PATIENCE, 2008), as well as exclusively to romantic love (VINCENT, 2010). In this paper,I review some international studies that have focused on the concept of love in educationfrom a critical perspective. In order to do that, I first review the crisis we are living today,which makes it ever more important to talk about love. Next, I discuss six studies whichinvestigated the concept of love within the critical approach (in the North Americancontext). I conclude suggesting reflections and implications for practice and summarizingthe main elements of a critical revolutionary love approach to language teacher educationand language learning and teaching.